David Mandie AM, OBE arrived in Australia with his family in 1921 and spent his formative years in Richmond. Forced to leave school at 13 during the Great Depression he worked in the family barber and tobacconist shop, Mandie Stores. In 1953 he purchased a wholesale liquor business from the estate of hotelier James Richardson (est. 1892) and merged the two businesses, opening the way to become Melbourne’s leading tobacco, wine and spirit distributor.

In 1956 (whilst travelling in Czechoslovakia) he decided to branch out into furniture importation. The deal was sealed “on a handshake” and more than 50 years later the James Richardson Group still deals with that same Czech company. This furniture business continues to thrive today as James Richardson/Furniture, providing consultation, management, supply and delivery on a wide range of furniture projects for clients across a number of industry sectors including Accommodation, Aged Care, Hospitality Furniture, Education and Work Place.

In 1972 he saw the potential of duty free retailing and launched James Richardson in that market. He soon became known as the “Pioneer of Duty Free” in Australia and built the company into an industry leader. JR/Duty Free now operates in Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Tahiti. JR/Watch Co. followed and operates at Brisbane, Perth and Auckland International Airports.

When Brisbane and Christchurch were hit so terribly by flood and earthquake, our businesses suffered severe damage. For Mr Mandie it was never about the losses JR had incurred, but always about the staff, their safety and well-being.

David Mandie was not only a high achiever in business, but was also a keen and successful sportsman, playing district cricket for the Prahran Cricket Club. After his playing days he retained a lifelong interest in the club as their Trustee and Patron-in-Chief.

His passion for the Richmond Football Club was legendary. He saw his first game at age 5 and “lost his heart” - the beginning of a lifetime of support for The Tigers, where he held the position of No. 1 Ticket Holder and Premier Patron for many, many years up until his passing. His passion and commitment to the Club, and to life in general was apparent, when at the age of 90 he purchased a Richmond Football Club 100 Year Membership.

The name David Mandie has always been synonymous with philanthropy with particular focus on Health, Arts, Education and Sport. He was proud and humbled when his service to the community was acknowledged with an MBE in 1965, an OBE in 1980 and then an AM Order of Australia in 2003.

He gave his time as a committee member, trustee, patron and supporter of far too many organisations to mention.

He was a man of passion, drive and commitment; a man of presence, integrity and loyalty.

We at JR are privileged to have been guided and mentored by this truly remarkable and dignified man, who lived an extraordinary life and gave so much to others.

James Richardson, established in 1892, has a long and rich history. A family owned business based in Melbourne, it has diversified interests as a major duty free retailer, an importer and distributor of commercial furniture, as well as a significant property and investment portfolio.

In 1953, after beginning his career selling tobacco from his father’s barber shop, the late David Mandie AM, OBE purchased the wholesale wine and spirits business of hotelier Jimmy Richardson and combined it with his existing tobacco, wine and spirits distribution business.

James Richardson has been active in duty free retailing since 1972 and David Mandie was regarded as the pioneer of the duty free industry within Australia.

Today James Richardson is listed in the world’s top 20 duty travel retail companies. JR/Duty Free operates at Perth, Brisbane and Darwin Airports, as well as an off-airport store in Melbourne.

Also operating in New Zealand and Israel, James Richardson has an interest in Tahiti Duty Free. In New Zealand JR/Duty Free is the duty free operator at Christchurch and Wellington International Airports. At Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv it operates one of the largest single duty free stores in the world.

JR/Watch Co. Luxury Watch Boutiques offer some of the most exclusive brands and are located at Perth, Brisbane and Auckland International Airports.

1956 saw the birth of the James Richardson furniture division when importation from Czechoslovakia and Italy commenced. Today James Richardson Furniture carry the original brand Ton chairs, making it the leading supplier of bentwood chairs in Australia.

James Richardson Furniture has sales offices and showrooms in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and this national coverage offers customers the broadest range of products.

The James Richardson philosophy is to reinvest and grow for the future. As a result, over its long history James Richardson has acquired an extensive property and investment portfolio.

Today the James Richardson Group employs over 2,300 people spanning three countries across the globe and in 2014 was ranked 57th on the BRW Top 500 List of privately-owned companies in Australia.

Whilst James Richardson’s reach is global its impact has a strong local focus and it is very involved in the communities in which it is active.

At James Richardson our business philosophy is to provide our customers with great service and quality product. A fundamental part of this philosophy is the support and commitment of our team members.

James Richardson is committed to a fair approach to the recruitment, assessment and selection process, ensuring consistency with equal opportunity principles.

We have exciting career opportunities that arise and are always on the lookout for people with a positive attitude and proactive nature. We invite you to express your interest in pursuing a career path within the James Richardson Group. Please review our current vacancies online at dux.worldmanager.com/careers to apply. When forwarding your application, please attach a cover letter outlining the area in which you would like to work. Should we not have a related position available, we will retain your details in our “Talent Pool” for future contact when a suitable role arises.

Brisbane: 105 Robertson Street

Perth: 121 Burswood Road

JR/Duty Free offers world-class duty free and retail shopping, located in airports across Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Tahiti and in the city centre of the main capitals of Australia.

Experience the convenience of finding everything you’re looking for within one store; from luxury brands and designer fashion to an extensive range of beauty, fragrance, electronics, liquor products and wine.

Shopping within the modern and stylish surroundings of a JR/Duty Free store is a complete experience. Our friendly staff will provide expert advice and personal attention to assist with your selection.

You will find JR/Duty Free stores at these locations:

Australia

Brisbane International Airport

Darwin International Airport

Perth International Airport

185 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Canberra International Airport

New Zealand

Auckland International Airport (online only)

Christchurch International Airport

Wellington International Airport

Israel

Ben Gurion International Airport

Jordan Valley Border Crossing

Tabor (Sinai, Egypt) Border Crossing

Ashdod Port Terminal

Haifa Port Terminal

James Richardson was the pioneer of Duty Free retailing in Australia. Led by the late David Mandie AM, OBE, James Richardson opened its first Duty Free store at Brisbane Airport in 1972 and over the next 23 years it operated at every major airport (Sydney, Cairns, Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne) in Australia. In addition it operated up to 25 city stores. James Richardson sold its Australian Duty Free division in 1995 to the Duty Free division of Nuance, a subsidiary of Swissair.

Since 1988, James Richardson has operated the principal Duty Free license consisting of liquor, tobacco, fragrance, skincare and confectionery at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. As demonstration of its successful performance, it retained the concession for the second time in 2004 to operate for a further 7 years. In 2011 this concession was extended for another 4 years. James Richardson also holds the concession for confectionery, sports, footwear and clothing at Ben Gurion Airport, as well as men's fashion (Boss, Lacoste, Armani). James Richardson also operates Duty Free stores at the border crossings to Jordan and Egypt (recently renewed till 2021), at Ashdod and Haifa ports, on cruise ships and also on passenger airlines.

In December 2005 James Richardson returned to Duty Free retailing in Australia with the opening of 3 Duty Free stores within the CBD of each at Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The store designs are world class, the environment outstanding and results to date are impressive. A further store opened in Brisbane CBD in early 2008. These stores offer a wide range of designer brands and products which are available either duty free or tax free (dependent on the product category) and in many case these products are available to non-travelling customers just by paying the GST.

In 2006 James Richardson successfully bid for the Duty Free Concession at Darwin International Airport and February 2007 marked the commencement of this operation.

July 2009 saw JR/ Duty Free's operations expand across the Tasman and into Auckland, New Zealand. More JR/Duty Free stores followed in quick succession - Wellington International Airport in July 2009 and Christchurch International Airport in July 2010.

Back in Australia in March 2012 JR/Duty Free commenced trading at Cairns International Airport and in Perth International Airport on 1 November 2013. The most recent addition to the JR/Duty Free portfolio is Brisbane International Airport commencing trade on September 2014.

As a natural extension to the success of JR/Duty Free, the luxury watch division, JR/Watch Co. was conceived, offering some of the world's most prestigious watch brands. JR/Watch Co. boasts three luxury boutiques situated at Brisbane International Airport, Perth International Airport and Auckland International Airport. In 2014, JR/Watch Co. luxury boutiques extended the portfolio and opened in both Perth and Brisbane International Airports.